Arsenal news LIVE: Ozil backed for West Ham transfer, Partey has ‘best debut EVER’, Gunners wanted Coutinho summer move – The Sun
MESUT OZIL believes that his criticism of China is the reason has has been frozen out by Arsenal, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Arsenal saw off Rapid Vienna 2-1 in Austria and Owen Hargreaves had high praise for newboy Thomas Partey.
Follow all the latest Arsenal transfer gossip, news and updates below…
- Anthony Chapman
EXCLUSIVE BY KARREN BRADY
Another week and another plot put forward to extract billions from football.
The latest comes in the form of a European Super League and based on a scheme for a fixed number of the most prestigious of European clubs to play in a new league of which five clubs will be invited to join from the Premier League.
So, one of the six have been dropped. I’d love to know which one.
But try as they might, I doubt this European Super League will ever get off the ground.
READ THE REST HERE
- Anthony Chapman
WHAT A MESS
Lionel Messi has been warned he will “damage” his reputation if he moves to the Premier League.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas told AFP: “We've been lucky to enjoy him for so many years but Messi should think very carefully about what he does next.
“If Messi left Barcelona, that reputation he has now and that has worked so well for him would be very damaged.
“It's true he could get a better offer financially but the reputation he has after more than 20 years, I think he has to hold onto that.”
- Anthony Chapman
NEW LOOK
Granit Xhaka believes he can form a great midfield partnership with new signing Thomas Partey.
Xhaka said: “He will be the guy who is important for me and as well for the team.
“Everyone in the club can be happy because he has great quality.
“He will bring a good mentality, a good balance in our game because this is what we need a bit more: the mentality to win.
“He played at Atletico Madrid, a different type of football, and he will bring a lot of good quality and mentality.”
- Anthony Chapman
SAL BE BACK
William Saliba could get the nod for Arsenal's clash against Leicester.
Thomas Partey may also be in line for a start after his man-of-the-match performance against Rapid Vienna.
Willian and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang may flank Alexandre Lacazette in attack too.
- Anthony Chapman
COUT DOWN
Arsenal eyed a shock move for Philippe Coutinho over the summer.
But the deal fell through when Barcelona failed to sign a replacement.
Fabrizio Romano claims the Gunners were alerted to Coutinho's availability after his Bayern Munich loan ended.
Arsenal were keen on a deal but Ronald Koeman eventually blocked it after Barca struggled to find a new face to sign in Coutinho's place.
- Anthony Chapman
CHECK MAIT
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has revealed why he snubbed a move to Wolves over the summer.
The England international said: “There was a lot of speculation going around, but I chose to stay at the club I love.
“I am happy with my decision and I am sure the manager is happy that I stayed as well.
“It was about the manager having faith in me and him letting me know what’s going on and the situation.
“He did that and everything was fine in the end.”
- Anthony Chapman
PARTEY GUY
It was a man-of-the-match performance for Thomas Partey on his full Arsenal debut.
Mikel Arteta was full of praise for his new £40million signing after the 2-1 Europa League win against Rapid Vienna.
But will Partey get another start when the Gunners take on Leicester this weekend?
- Anthony Chapman
OZ FEST
Carlton Cole has tipped old side West Ham to make a shock January move for Arsenal outcast Mesut Ozil.
He told TalkSport: “West Ham have always liked those kind of players, those magician-like players.
“Arsenal would have benefitted from having him in their squad, but he clearly doesn’t fit in at the moment.”
- Anthony Chapman
RING MY BELL
Anyone else got that Friday feeling yet?
Hector Bellerin certainly does after coming off the bench to help secure Arsenal's 2-1 over Rapid Vienna last night!
- Richard Forrester
GETTING SHIRTY
Adidas have launched a new range of kits in collaboration with Pharrell Williams – but fans are split over the retro design.
Manchester United, Arsenal, Juventus, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have been given the treatment by the Humanrace creative director and musician.
Arsenal’s update came from the Gunners’ famous bruised banana away shirt, with the Bayern design also emanating from their early 90s kit.
Adidas collaborator Pharrell said of the range: “History is what shapes the future, and sometimes in order to look forwards, first we need to look back.
“The most important part of the process with this collection was to learn of each club’s legacies and how each defining moment of their histories were captured and preserved from a design perspective.
“Each of the new jerseys are symbols of the five club’s legacies and a true celebration of the universality of sport.”
- Richard Forrester
VARD TO STOP
Arsenal beware… Jamie Vardy is the Premier League’s ultimate Big Six Slayer – and the stats prove it.
The Leicester strike ace has scored more goals against the top sides than any other player over the past three years.
Vardy does it at a better rate than any rival, too.
In 34 top-flight matches against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham, Vardy has found the net 21 times.
That works out at 0.62 goals per game – boosted by his hat-trick in the 5-2 win against Man City last month.
And he is even more deadly against the Gunners, with seven goals in his last six clashes with the North Londoners.
That bodes well for the Foxes as they prepare to take on Arsenal on Sunday night.
- Richard Forrester
ART OF DECEPTION
Mikel Arteta has been slammed by Mesut Ozil’s agent for failing to give an ‘honest explanation’ for the playmaker’s exile from the side.
The Gunners’ strong start to the season has been marred by an ongoing spat with the German.
And the player’s agent, Erkut Sogut, has pushed back against Arteta‘s claim that the coach had simply failed to get the best out of the midfielder.
Sogut told ESPN: “Arsenal fans deserve an honest explanation, not saying, ‘I failed Ozil’.
“You didn’t fail Ozil. You failed to be fair, honest and transparent and treat someone with respect who has a contract and was loyal all the time.
“Every single person outside knows he hasn’t treated him fairly. He didn’t give him a chance to show himself this season.
“If he is still under contract, the player should have the option to stay and fight for his place. Mesut hasn’t been given that.
“Everyone says he’s training well. Per Mertesacker said this publicly. I spoke with at least five team-mates who say he is training great.
“They say Mesut is one of their best players, and they cannot understand why he is left out. So it can’t be the training — if it is not the pitch, what are the footballing reasons?
“If you talk, you should tell the truth that the Arsenal fans deserve otherwise don’t talk at all.”
- Richard Forrester
NOT DON YET
Arsenal are keen to re-sign Donyell Malen despite selling him to PSV Eindhoven for just £540,000 in 2017, according to reports.
The 21-year-old's scintillating form for the Dutch side has seen the striker appear back on the Gunners' radar.
Malen has bagged 33 goals and 16 assists in 78 games for PSV.
And he could soon be on the way back to the Emirates, according to Dutch outlet Soccernews.
Malen spent two years in Arsenal's academy having joined from Ajax's Under-17s in 2015.
- Richard Forrester
GREAT MAIT
Ainsley Maitland-Niles revealed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay in North London over the summer.
The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Wolves to replace Matt Doherty who joined Jose Mourinho's Spurs for £15million.
Maitland-Niles said: “There was a lot of speculation going around, but I chose to stay at the club I love.
“I am happy with my decision and I am sure the manager is happy that I stayed as well.
“It was about the manager having faith in me and him letting me know what’s going on and the situation. He did that and everything was fine in the end.
“He just installed a lot of confidence in me that I had in myself, but maybe I didn’t know how to bring out. He has helped me do that.
“We work well as a team together and he knows how to get the best out of me, and now I am learning to get the best out of myself more regularly now.
“I can only thank him along the way and carry on the run of form we have had.”
- Richard Forrester
HEADING WEST?
West Ham could be the perfect destination for ‘magician-like’ Mesut Ozil, according to Hammers cult hero Carlton Cole.
Arsenal have cast Ozil out in the cold and former striker Cole reckons a spell in East London could benefit all parties.
Things between Ozil and the Gunners have got bitter with the playmaker branding them ‘disloyal’.
And Irons legend Cole reckons he would slot in just fine at his old club.
Asked whether Ozil would be a good fit at London Stadium, Cole told talkSPORT: “Of course.
“West Ham have always liked those kind of players, those magician-like players.
“Arsenal would have benefitted from having him in their squad, but he clearly doesn’t fit in at the moment.”
- Richard Forrester
HIGH RISK HIGH REWARD
Mikel Arteta is refusing to play it safe after Arsenal passed themselves into danger during their Europa League opener.
And he will continue to urge goalkeeper Bernd Leno to start attacks from the back despite last night’s nervous performance in Austria.
The German international’s howler gifted Rapid Vienna a 51st minute lead before goals from David Luiz and substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saved his bacon.
But though Leno continued to struggle with the ball at his feet, Arteta insisted: “If anything it’s my fault because I demand to do those things.
“But even though we conceded another late chance with a second misunderstanding at the back, I will keep encouraging Bernd to play it out in the right moments.
“It’s part of our game model but we need to understand when we can pass it out and when we should kick the ball into the stand.
“That’s a big part of what we are trying to do but to recognise that from the outside is much easier than to do it from the inside.
“We need a better understanding of where the pressure is coming from because you have a split second to make a decision and to make the right pass when the opponents are waiting for that.
“But Bernd has the courage to do it and we have been very successful doing it with the amount of goals we have scored in important games.
“So we will keep working on that because it’s necessary that the goalkeeper is involved in our build-up to play the way I want.”
- Richard Forrester
ALL GUNNS BLAZING
Arsenal welcome Leicester to the Emirates on Sunday night with plenty of reasons to feel positive.
Mikel Arteta will be itching for kick-off to come around in order to unleash Thomas Partey for his full Premier League debut.
The ex-Atletico Madrid star put on a masterclass performance in the 2-1 Europa League win over Rapid Vienna on Thursday.
Having started the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City last weekend on the bench, Partey is a near-certainty to be on the pitch from the first whistle.
And with a new-look back-four set to be unleashed, as well as Arteta’s first-choice front-three, Gooners have plenty of reasons to be excited.
Here's how we think Arsenal will shape up against the Foxes.
- Richard Forrester
'TRUST AND SUPPORT'
Mesut Ozil has labelled Arsene Wenger ‘respectful, fair and honest’ – just a day after branding Arsenal ‘disloyal’.
The Gunners outcast posted an affectionate birthday message to his former boss but appeared to include a veiled dig at the North London club.
Wenger turned 70 yesterday, and Ozil took to Twitter to wish him many happy returns.
The playmaker uploaded two pictures of Wenger planting kisses on the German after Arsenal matches.
And alongside the nostalgic snaps, the 32-year-old wrote: “Happy Birthday, boss!
“Thanks for all your trust and support you’ve given me from my first until your last day @Arsenal FC.
“Without a doubt one of the greatest managers in the Premier League history – always respectful, fair & honest. Wishing you all the best.”
- Richard Forrester
A CLASS A-PART
Arsenal's new £45million midfielder Thomas Partey enjoyed a stunning debut against Rapid Vienna – with BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves saying it 'was one of the best I've ever seen'.
Signed from Atletico Madrid in the summer, Partey was given the full 90 minutes in the Europa League as the Gunners secured a 2-1 victory.
And within just minutes on the pitch, Partey showed that he will bring a different, and superior dynamic, to the Gunners.
Hargreaves said: “Thomas Partey had one of the best debuts I've ever seen.
“This guy makes it look so easy. Everybody is looking to him.
“He's run the whole game, you can tell he's been playing in the Champions League – it's too easy for him.”
- Richard Forrester
GUNNER BE GREAT?
Arsenal have handed a trial to the son of club legend Dennis Bergkamp.
The Gunners have watched 22-year-old Mitchel in action at their North London training ground this week.
Attacking midfielder Mitchel, a free agent, slotted in with the Under-23s and made a good impression on manager Steve Bould.
Mitchel has spent his entire career thus far with Dutch second-division side Almere after joining them in 2017.
He turned out for the youth teams but failed to make an appearance with the seniors.
- Jake Lambourne
GOOD MORNING ARSENAL FANS
Mikel Arteta hailed Thomas Partey's first start for the club after his part in their 2-1 win over Rapid Vienna.
He said: “He looked really solid, really comfortable, and I think he held the midfield by himself in the second half when we were a little bit more open and took more chances, attacking spaces with some players.
“I think he was fantastic tonight and there is much more to come from him obviously.
“He needs his team-mates around him, it's not about him. With the price we paid for him and the profile of him, he's going to have a lot of people looking at him every single game.
“But it's about the structure we have as a team, the flow, the unity and cohesion we have in the team, and he's one piece of that and hopefully a big piece.”
Meanwhile, Ainsley Maitland-Niles revealed Arteta convinced him to stay in North London over the summer.
He said: “There was a lot of speculation going around, but I chose to stay at the club I love.
“I am happy with my decision and I am sure the manager is happy that I stayed as well.
“It was about the manager having faith in me and him letting me know what’s going on and the situation. He did that and everything was fine in the end.
“He just installed a lot of confidence in me that I had in myself, but maybe I didn’t know how to bring out. He has helped me do that.
“We work well as a team together and he knows how to get the best out of me, and now I am learning to get the best out of myself more regularly now.
“I can only thank him along the way and carry on the run of form we have had.”
And finally, on the transfer front, Arsenal are keen to re-sign Donyell Malen despite selling him to PSV Eindhoven for just £540,000 in 2017, according to reports.
The 21-year-old's scintillating form for the Dutch side has seen the striker appear back on the Gunners' radar.
Malen has bagged 33 goals and 16 assists in 78 games for PSV.
And he could soon be on the way back to the Emirates, according to Dutch outlet Soccernews.
- Joe Brophy
PARTEY STARTED
Mikel Arteta hailed Thomas Partey's first start for the club after his part in their 2-1 win over Rapid Vienna.
He said: “He looked really solid, really comfortable, and I think he held the midfield by himself in the second half when we were a little bit more open and took more chances, attacking spaces with some players.
“I think he was fantastic tonight and there is much more to come from him obviously.
“He needs his team-mates around him, it's not about him. With the price we paid for him and the profile of him, he's going to have a lot of people looking at him every single game.
“But it's about the structure we have as a team, the flow, the unity and cohesion we have in the team, and he's one piece of that and hopefully a big piece.”
- Joe Brophy
GREAT MAIT
Ainsley Maitland-Niles revealed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta convinced him to stay in North London over the summer.
The 23-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Wolves to replace Matt Doherty who joined Jose Mourinho's Spurs for £15million.
Maitland-Niles said: “There was a lot of speculation going around, but I chose to stay at the club I love.
“I am happy with my decision and I am sure the manager is happy that I stayed as well.
“It was about the manager having faith in me and him letting me know what’s going on and the situation. He did that and everything was fine in the end.
“He just installed a lot of confidence in me that I had in myself, but maybe I didn’t know how to bring out. He has helped me do that.
“We work well as a team together and he knows how to get the best out of me, and now I am learning to get the best out of myself more regularly now.
“I can only thank him along the way and carry on the run of form we have had.”
- Joe Brophy
A CLASS A-PART
Arsenal's new £45million midfielder Thomas Partey enjoyed a stunning debut against Rapid Vienna – with BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves saying it 'was one of the best I've ever seen'.
The former Manchester United midfielder said: “Thomas Partey had one of the best debuts I've ever seen.”
At half-time the 39-year-old had already made his mind up about how much of an asset the Ghanaian will be.
He said: “This guy makes it look so easy. Everybody is looking to him.
“He's run the whole game, you can tell he's been playing in the Champions League – it's too easy for him.”
- Joe Brophy
VERDICT
SunSport's John Hutchinson says: “Arsenal gave fans what they wanted to see, a first start for £45million signing Thomas Partey in midfield.
“But also on show was something they didn't want to see – another defensive horror show.
“And once again questions will be asked as to why Emiliano Martinez was allowed to leave as Bernd Leno committed a clanger.
“First for the good, apart from the unconvinving 2-1 win. Partey showed in a matter of minutes what he will bring to the Gunners' fold.
“He rarely, if ever, lost the ball. He was constantly looking forward and if he wasn't attempting a defence splitting pass he was making a surge upfield.”
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